"...Let's start with what we do know. We know that the planet is warming, and we know that burning oil and other fossil fuels contributes to global warming by creating a heattrapping blanket of carbon dioxide around the earth. We know that the rise in average global temperatures has already caused dangerous and costly climate disruptions around the world -- heat waves, extreme cold, heavy precipitation -- and that more disruptions are likely in the future. And we know that if we act soon to reduce the use of fuels that emit carbon dioxide when they're burned -- like oil, gas, and coal -- we can greatly reduce the effects of global warming. What more do we need to know before we act?"

"...Most of our actions are based on the probability of an outcome, not absolute certainty. If nine doctors tell you that you'll live longer if you take a certain medicine and one doctor disagrees, the wise course is to take your medicine....We still have a lot to learn about who cancer strikes and why. But we don't wait to take the steps that are available to prevent and combat it..."

"...We only have one Earth, and one atmosphere. If we "wait and see" on global warming, it's like conducting an enormous experiment, with potentially dangerous and irreversible consequences -- especially for our children and grandchildren. Why would we want to do that, when we know what steps we can take to cut our risks?"

"...With long-term challenges like global warming, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound a cure." The longer we delay, the harder this problem is going to be to solve -- for us, and for future generations. ... Getting started today is like taking out insurance -- a smart and responsible thing to do..."

"...Don't be fooled by attempts to use the call for "more science" as an excuse for inaction, or as a cover for pursuing policies and practices that the majority of scientists already oppose. We can't afford to let narrow, short-term interests undermine the robust consensus that has developed in the scientific community on the long-term danger of climate change..."

"...The Pentagon is treating global warming as a reality. So do major international insurance companies and some farsighted energy companies. These public- and private-sector leaders aren't known for being pushovers -- they're hard-headed risk analysts, and the science is conclusive enough for them..."

"...Movies like The Day After Tomorrow are fiction; climate change is real. Think of the movie as a wake-up call that shows us we're being much too casual about the consequences of tampering with Earth's atmosphere. You don't have to subscribe to the movie's worstcase scenario to see that we should be doing more, and faster, to shift to a clean energy. We know what to do. What are we waiting for?"